Comics Briefly

Compiled by Kate Fitzsimons
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Jun 23, 2009

Myspace Comics ClosedMyspace Comics, the comic book division of the social networking site Myspace.com has closed. The home of comic columns such as Joe Quesada’s Cup O’Joe (now on CBR), free previews and digital issues of comics such as Hexed, and original comic creations such as Myspace Dark Horse Presents, Myspace Comics was cut as part of a wave of over 400 layoffs last Tuesday. Myspace Dark Horse Presents was an ongoing anthology comic of work from both newcomers and A-list comic creators. It was collected into several successful print collections, and one of its comics, Joss Whedon and Fabio Moon’s Sugarshock won an Eisner award for Best Digital Comic, so speculation on the anthology’s possible resurrection and relocation is rife. PW’s Heidi MacDonald covers the story in The Beat.

Boom! Gets Classic Disney ToonsAfter recently ending their partnership with Gemstone Comics, Disney has awarded the American comics rights to their classic characters such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck to Boom! Studios. At Heroes Con last Saturday, Boom publisher Richie Ross confirmed the acquisition in an interview with comics news site Newsarama. Only four years old, Boom! Studios is known for original creator-owned work from veteran writers such as Mark Waid, J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Mignola, as well as tie-in comics for properties such as The Muppets, Cars, Eureka, 28 Days Later and Farscape. Boom will immediately begin publishing Disney titles under their Boom Kids imprint, but they will not be new titles or original content. Instead the inaugural September titles will be Disney’s Comics and Stories #699 and Mickey Mouse and Friends #297, comics translated into English and made by Italian creators for Disney Italia. The company’s future plans, however, involve original comics with the characters as well as collections of classic work from such creators as Don Rosa and Carl Barks.

Broome, Jacobs Win Bill Finger AwardThe 2009 Bill Finger Awards for Excellence in Comic Book Writing has been awarded to Frank Jacobs and John Broome. The Bill Finger Awards honor writers who have done “important, inspirational work” that has been overlooked by comics history and the general public. The Bill Finger Award is the brainchild of comics creator Jerry Robinson, and has been awarded to two creators per year since 2005. William Finger, the award’s namesake, was the first writer of Batman, and is often ignored in favor of Bob Kane, the original artist of the character.

Frank Jacobs has written for MAD Magazine since 1957 and continues to be published in its pages. He is best known for his humorous poems and popular song parodies. The late John Broome was a science fiction pulp author in the 40’s who went on to write for DC Comics from 1946 — 1970, creating influential work on The Flash and Green Lantern among others. Both men will be honored during the Eisner Awards ceremony at the San Diego Comic Con International on the evening of Friday, July 24. More information is available at the official site.

Berzerker #1 FreeTop Cow Comics, known for such comics as Witchblade and The Darkness, will be making the first issue of their new comic Berzerker, available for free in participating comic stores on June 24. Inspired by Norse myth and legend, the comic is the tale of two modern people forced to deal with the murderous and uncontrollable berzerker rage. The giveaway is part of Top Cow’s year-long “Let Us Win You Over” marketing initiative. Other free comics, as yet unannounced, will follow.

Stan Lee’s Manga inShonen JumpUltimo, the brand new collaboration between Stan Lee and Shaman King creator Hiroyuki Takei, will premiere in the upcoming July issue of the popular manga anthology magazine Shonen Jump. Stan Lee is widely celebrated as the father of modern Marvel comics and the co-creator of such iconic characters as Spider-man and The Fantastic Four. Hiroyuki Takei is a winner of the prestigious Osamu Tezuka award for manga, and his adventure manga series Shaman King has been adapted into an extremely popular anime. Shonen Jump is widely available on newsstands across the United States.

Special Edition of Crumb’s GenesisLegendary underground comics creator Robert Crumb’s upcoming book The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb will be available in a special limited edition through online bookseller and via special order. The book will be slipcased, signed and numbered and contain a signed and numbered print. The edition will be limited to 250 copies and has a retail price of $500.

Sikoryak’s Carousel with Live BandsThe latest event in comic creator R. Sikoryak’s “Carousel”series of comic book multimedia art events will be a collaboration between his crew of comic creators and three live bands. On June 24, Pretendo, The Walking Hellos and Gold Streets will play a concert at Brooklyn’s Union Pool, and in between sets “Carousel” will take the stage. Gabrielle Bell of Cecil and Jordan, Michael Kupperman of Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim and R. Sikoryak himself, creator of Masterpiece Comics, will be the featured comic creators at the event. The concert will take place outdoors by the pool and tacos will be available for purchase. The Union Pool is located at 484 Union Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, between Metropolitan and Meeker. The show begins at 8pm, going on into the night, and admission is $8.

Grant Morrison signing in LAAcclaimed comic creator Grant Morrison will sign comics and hold a public discussion with horror legend Clive Barker at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles on July 1. Morrison will be signing his new comic Batman and Robin # 1 as well as his new hardcover book Final Crisis. The evening will begin with the Morrison/Barker talk at 6 p.m. followed by the signing, which will run until 9 p.m., and music will be provided by iheartcomix.com and DJ Franki Chan. Meltdown Comics is located at 7522 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA.

Greg Rucka in DallasEisner award winning comics writer Greg Rucka will appear at Dallas’s Zeus Comics for a special comics signing celebrating his comic Detective Comics #854. Issue 854 is the debut of Batwoman as the lead character of the ongoing Detective Comics series. This signing is free and open to the public, and guests are encouraged to bring their own comics for Rucka to sign. Rucka will be appearing at the store from 10 a.m. — 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 27. Zeus Comics is located at 4411 Lemmon Avenue, Dallas, TX.

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